Emergency ignition unit



Dec. 10, 1946. SELLARO 2,412,540

EMERGENCY IGNITION UNIT Filed Nov. 18, 1944 Patented Dec. 10, 1946 2,412,540 EMERGENCY IGNITION UNIT Angelo V. Sellaro, Hatboro, Pa.

Application November 18, 1944, Serial No. 564,105

The invention herein disclosed relates to ignition systems of the battery distributor type and 1 Claim. (Cl. 123-148) is in the nature of an improvement on that disclosed in Patent No. 2,152,650 of April 4, 1939.

The patent referred to involved the provision of a vibrator connected so that it could be cut into the low tension or breaker side of the ignition system. The distributor would then serve, as before, to carry the high tension current to the spark plugs. For such operation, however, the regular distributor brush was usually replaced by a brush narrowed at the end to reduce th possibility of pro-ignition.

Important objects of the present invention are to utilize'all the advantages of the earlier invention but to avoid any need for substitution or use of special distributor arms.

Other objects are to enable the connection of the emergency unit in place by simply disconnecting the one wire leading from the primary of the spark coil to the insulated terminal of the breaker and to furnish the unit in such a form that anyone, without any previous knowledge or experience in the matter, may quickly, easily and accurately connect the unit in an ignition system and without fear of injury to any of the parts in the system.

Additional objects are to provide an ignition unit which primarily for emergency and difiicult starting uses may, if desired, be kept more or less continuously in service as a desirable addition for increasing power, reducing fuel consumption and other advantages.

Other desirable objects and the novel'ieatures by which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and iorrning part of the specification illustrates a present commercial embodiment of the invention but structure may be modified and changed as regards the immediate disclosure, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention a hereinafter de-" 2 above-identified patent in embodying a battery 7, key operated switch 8, primary winding 9 connected by wiring III with the breaker ll operated by cam l2 on the same engine driven shaft carrying the distributor arm l3, the latter connected by wire H with the secondary, high tension winding l5 of the spark coil and cooperating with terminals I8 connected with the several spark plugs l1. Also, there is shown a condenser l 8 across the breaker points.

The emergency unit of the present invention, as in the prior patent, embodies a buzzer or electromagnetic circuit interrupter or vibrator I9 which can be cut into the primary circuit of the system andwhich will operate through the spark coil of the system to produce a flow of high tension current, delivery in proper sequence to the spark plugs by the rotating distributor arm.

In the present invention, however, this vibrator, instead of being merely a substitute to be used in place of the breaker unit, can be used either as such a substitute or tosupplement and electrically cooperate with'the breaker. It is this last mentioned phase of the invention which enables the emergency unit to be used in the system with the regular or standard form of distributor brush and withoutcausing detonation and preignition when so used.

In the present illustration the unit is equipped with two flexible leads 20, 2t, adapted to be connected respectively with the primary terminal 22 of the spark coil and with the insulated terminal 23 of the breaker, after the normal connection indicated by the broken line it has been removed.

To provide the desired selective or combined use of the conventional and emergency ignition systems, separate control switches and 25 are connected as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. The lead it from the spark coil is connected with one terminal 26 of the conventional ignition switch 25 and the lead 28 to the breaker is connected with the other terminal 2? of this same switch. A short wire 28 connects the spark coil terminal 26 of switch 25 with terminal 2a of the emergency control switch 2 3. The other terminal 30 oi this switch is connected by wire it with winding 32 of the vibrator. The other end oi this winding is connected by Wire 33 to the insulated support 33 carrying the fixed contact 355. A wireBB extends from this contact support to one side of a condenser 37. The other side of this condenser is grounded by wire 38 shown as soldered to the can 39 forming the container support for the several parts oi the unit.

ae aeeo The frame or the vibrator is shown as made up of a generally L-shaped bracket 3E) secured by a screw ll to the top of the can, thus providing the necessary ground connection for the vibrating 'armature 12 mounted on said frame and carrying the vibrating contact 63.

The metallic container may be mounted on the back of the dash or other conveniently accessible position, where it will be grounded on the frame oi. the vehicle or other mechanism.

When the conventional ignition switch 2-5 is closed, the regular ignition circuit will be closed through the breaker, as is clear from Fig. 1. If this switch is left open and emergency switch 95 closed, circuit will be through the lead 2t) from the spark coil and the cross connection 28 to switch 25 and through that switch and connection 3! to the vibrator coil and. vibrator contacts 35, 33, to ground and through connection as to the condenser 23? and ground. This will provide a how of sparks at the high tension side of the system to be distributed by the brush 83. Alternate use of these two switches enables 1mition to be tested at will through either the regular system or through the emergency unit. Preferably and usually, however, when there is any possibility of need for thefemergency system, both these switches will be 'closed. This then puts the vibrator and its condenser in a parallel circuit with the breaker and its condenser. When the breaker is closed it short circuits the vibrator but when the breaker opens the vibrator starts to vibrate, producing a delayed or retarded spark at the distributor. Both condensers, the conventional one it at the breaker and 1 the extra one 3i at the vibrator, then discharge providing a hotter, higher voltage retarded spark. As the breaker closes the spark will be continued or extended through the inertia efieot of the vibrator. This is highlydesirable for cold startthe conventional key operated switch. In the latter instance the switch mechanism of this invention would be used as well for turning the ignition on and ofi and could be used for conventional operation by putting it in the conventional position, or for emergency operation by putting it in the emergency position, or for emergency and spark retarded operation by putting it in the position with both circuits, that is, the regular breaker circuit and the vibrator circuit closed.

Instead of being added unto the conventional system as an emergency attachment, the vibrator may be included as part of the original equipment, mounted and connected ready to be used whenever required. Also, the invention may bemade up as a handy complete unit adapted to be carried about for servicing engines that may have failed to start. The use of this emergency unit, whether temporarily or continuously, does not iniuriously afi'ect the engine and, due to avoiding pro-ignition, mayactually be of benefit to the engine and associated mechanism.

What is claimed is:

An emergency unit for maintaining a conventional battery distributor ignition system in winding of the conventional spark coil of the ing or flooded carburetors because besides being may be used in conjunction with or in place of and breaker circuit.

system in parallel with the conventional coil and breaker circuit of that system and whereby said magnetic interrupteroperating through the battery, coil and breaker connections of the conventional system will provide a continuous succession 'of interruptions in the primary circuit in parallel with the breaker circuit and thereby enable the distributor of the system to function in the conventional manner, said connecting means including two independently operable switches separate and apart from the conventional ignition switch of the system and arranged, one

switch to cut the breaker mechanism into and out of service and the other switch to cut the magnetic circuit interrupter into and out of service and whereby either or both said breaker mechanism and said magnetic circuit interrupter may be in service at one and the same time and said magnetic circuit interrupter be used either above or in parallel with the conventional coil i ANGELO V. SELLARO. 

